IAEA Head Alleges Significant High-Enrichment Uranium Stockpile at Isfahan Site
Vienna, Austria – The Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, has stated that a substantial portion of Iran’s high-enrichment uranium stockpile is believed to remain at the Isfahan nuclear complex, a site that has reportedly faced recent aerial engagements.
Satellite Imagery and Ongoing Assessments
Grossi, in an interview with the Associated Press, indicated that the IAEA possesses satellite imagery reflecting the aftermath of recent aerial actions affecting Iran, including the Isfahan facility. “We are still receiving information,” he noted, emphasizing the ongoing nature of the agency’s assessments.
Inspections at the Isfahan site reportedly concluded around the time of the recent intensive aerial exchanges, which involved a 12-day conflict and strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites attributed to the United States and Israel.
Estimated Quantities and Site Significance
The UN’s nuclear watchdog estimates that a significant percentage of Iran’s high-enrichment uranium was stored at the Isfahan location as of June 2025, at the commencement of the aforementioned 12-day conflict, and is presumed to have remained there since.
“We have not been able to verify or rule out the presence of material and seals – IAEA seals,” Grossi stated, qualifying his assessment as the agency’s “best estimate.”
Satellite imagery, as reported, purportedly shows a truck carrying 18 blue containers entering a tunnel at the Isfahan Nuclear Technology Center on June 9, 2025, just prior to the outbreak of the 12-day conflict. These containers are believed to contain high-concentration uranium and are likely still present at the site.
The IAEA is also seeking to conduct inspections at Iran’s Natanz and Fordow nuclear facilities, where further nuclear material is understood to be present.
Iran’s Nuclear Commitments and Program
As a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), Iran is obligated to maintain transparency and allow IAEA inspections of its nuclear facilities.
According to IAEA claims, Iran possesses 440.9 kilograms (972 pounds) of uranium enriched up to 60 percent purity. Grossi has indicated that the agency believes approximately 200 kilograms (around 440 pounds) of this material is stored in tunnels at the Isfahan site.
Iranian officials have consistently maintained that the nation’s nuclear program is exclusively for peaceful purposes and that there is no intention to develop nuclear weapons. Following the recent intensive aerial engagements, Iran reportedly suspended its cooperation with the IAEA. Senior Iranian officials have voiced strong criticism of the oversight body and its Director General, suggesting that the IAEA’s actions, particularly the adoption of a resolution by its Board of Governors prior to the conflict, may have inadvertently provided justification for the aerial actions.
